A Polonaise Continued: Red Silk For A Petticoat

It has arrived!
The Ruby Red silk I ordered from Renaissance Fabrics, landed on my doorstep after I returned home from work today.
As expected, the quality is divine and the color is sumptuous, but soft when compared to most red fabrics of today. Perfect for the 18th century. It leans toward a warm rose color, with a very slight golden undertone.
And of course, it's a perfect match to the polonaise gown fabric.
I'll probably pair this gown with contrasting colors of petticoats in the future, too, as I have a similar one I need to make in a gold silk taffeta (for another project). I can mix-and-match!
I think I just wanted this red color because of the challenge; to find a soft red and hope that it also comes in a lovely silk taffeta for historical sewing. I can happily say this search has proved successful.

A Polonaise Continued

As another little escape from the cosplay side of things here, I finally caved and purchased 3 yards of luscious ruby red silk taffeta. This will become the petticoat for the 1770s polonaise I've had on the sidelines (for AFTER I get the stays built), mentioned here and here. I finally found the right red to accompany the color of the print on the cotton I will use for the polonaise. I found plenty of 'OMG that's red' reds, muddy burgundy and way-too-dark/pink wine shades to be of any use. Renaissance Fabrics had this lovely Ruby Red that, I think, will work perfectly or at least darn close:

The back of my dress in the red & ivory stripe cotton.

I won't be making the entirety of the petticoat out of this silk, choosing instead to make the parts covered by the polonaise out of a fine burgundy or neutral cotton. This is an historically accurate way to save on silk, and was done by even the upper classes. 3 yards should be plenty to cover the front and lower hem around the back in silk over the red cotton lining, leaving the remaining silk to make a flounce or a lot of ruched trim.

I'm going for something between the very late 1770s, to around 1780. Something like this:

As you can see above, the trim on the contrasting petticoat only decorates the front, something I find interesting and as a bit of a relief. I don't *need* to try and trim the entire circumference, and it's still historically appropriate. I also know I won't have enough of the printed polonaise fabric left over to make trim from. So, the use of a sheer ivory silk organdy I have stashed away should make for a nice contrast trim, similar to the gown in this plate:

Of course, the trimmings on the polonaise will be different, but I wouldn't mind experimenting with that ivory silk organza I have. Some of the textures on the body and sleeves are stunning, and I'd like to try doing some Hertzenruch (heart ruching) style trims in that sheer ivory. Below uses a similar technique as what we see on the gown above, only done on a single ribbon:

You can find a tutorial on how to do this style of trim here at Threads.

Frozen Fabric Finds: Part II

Well, I was finally able to track down some pretty fantastic fabric for the skirt of my Elsa costume; a metallic-threaded crinkle silk chiffon. Thank you Etsy!
While it's a little lighter in color than I'd like, I have plans to dye it a slightly richer shade as I give it a deeper ombre effect toward the hem. This is someting I was noticing about how Elsa's skirt appeared much of the time during the film. With the right dyes, it's not hard to achieve.

It doesn't need to be as intense an aqua as the above image, but something close to it to mesh with the other pieces well. Some of you might remember the dye job I did on my Valkyrie performance costume; it's sort of a similar process.
Since it's still a sheer fabric, I'll give the skirt a deeper blue lining as well.

A Bit Of Light In The Darkness

After digging through my stash of silks, I ran across a lovely ivory/lavender/rose stripe silk taffeta I've had or years. The ivory stripe has a satin finish and a light ribbed texture. I also had to bite the bullet and buy some Ivory silk taffeta from Renaissance Fabrics, so I can make a complimenting bodice. I only have 5 yards of the stripe for the skirt.
I hope to finish both that and my Sisi velvet ensemble before the end of Dickens fair.

 I might use a cotton broadcloth for the skirt base, and do the silk in 2 tiers with the stripes going horizontal.

Also, I love my new 1850s hoop crinoline from Kay! It's the perfect bell shape and doesn't have that annoying "lampshade" look that so many modern (bridal) hoop petticoats do.

***WARNING***
For those seeking a good deal on silk taffeta fabrics, you may want to be wary when dealing with B.R. Exports. Better known as puresilks.us. The hilarious thing, is the stripe silk shown above is actually from this same seller, but from their Ebay store ages ago. They still carry this weave (supposedly), and while I would love more, after my recent experience with them, I don't want to roll those dice.
While I am always careful about where I order online goods, I had done some research on these folks and heard current reviews that varied from fantastic, to slightly annoying. Well, I decided to place an order last week for 10 yards of that light royal blue silk taffeta from their website.
They were super quick (less than 24 hours) to contact me and said they no longer had the fabric I ordered in stock, and offered other similar options (other colors/dupion textures, etc). Right away I replied that the other options were not going to work for my project, and could I please have a refund of my money.
Keep in mind I used Paypal for this transaction, thank gods.

Even though they didn't have the fabric in stock, they accepted my payment right away.
They have yet to reverse/refund it, and after a week of little to no communication from them, I filed a Paypal claim to get my money back.
Granted they are in India, but if they were so quick to contact me initially about my order, why should it take so many extra business days for them to even discuss a refund of my payment.
I heard from them finally yesterday morning before I finally escalated the dispute to a claim, and they continued their attempt at selling me fabrics I did not want! Then they had the balls to say that they didn't have my money!
Well, Paypal shows the transaction as complete and in their hands under their company name. 
When I pay for something via Paypal, it comes from my bank account and goes into a balance toward the purchase. When the seller accepts payment for a purchase, it takes the funds from my Paypal account into the sellers Paypal balance, where they can then withdraw it to wherever they want. Either way, they have my money. It shows that they took it, and it's not sitting in limbo. 
I will keep you all updated as to how this unfolds. XOXO

Sadness

Well, so much for sewing anything new at all for Dickens this year.
That previously mentioned fabric order snafu has thrown the final wrench in the works not only time-wise, but financially. They still have not refunded my money for the fabric they never had in stock, and because of that, I can't order more from another (more trustworthy) source I know.

Maybe the top half?

I *might* be able to crank out an 1850s caraco/jacket style bodice to wear with a skirt I have and a blouse, but I have a burlesque costume to get finished for an upcoming performance first.
Already, I can see this being yet another frustrating year of feeling like my outfit isn't quite hitting the mark, or just plain uncomfortable. I really needed a new, plain cotton corset to wear under all of it this year too :-(
I have a lovely one from Dark Garden but it's so beautiful, and it can get really warm in the Cow Palace. I'd be afraid of staining the silk, and I don't have time to make a sleeved chemise + cover.

Let's see what happens though. I really need to stay positive right now, since it seems just about everything has been working against me this year. Seriously, 2013 has been one of the most craptastic years in a long time.
If anything, I'll be sewing during the Dickens fair run, and might have something before the last 2 weekends.
I can hope, right?

And The Wallet Whimpers Again

***Update***
NOPE! Out of stock. Ugh, I hate it when this happens.
Hey Seller, here's an idea; maybe you should update your inventory so your customers don't end up ordering something you DON'T HAVE. Just a thought :-|
And the money is still tied up in Paypal until they refund me...I hope they refund me

(I still need) 10 yards of sapphire blue silk taffeta for my Dickens Fair project.
Renaissance Fabrics has something similar, and probably of better color & quality, but it's an extra $50 after tax and shipping. I may need to go that route though:

The true sapphire blue taffeta at Renaissance Fabrics:

and the other guy's 'light royal' blue taffeta, that is no more:

With this blue kick I'm on, I'm thinking of using a contrast trim of delicate burnished gold or metallic something-or-other. Maybe even silver, in a lightweight metallic fringe or soutache, combined with self ruching from the same silk? Now the question is if I will actually be able to get the darn fabric!

Flight Of The Valkyrie + Sewing Area To-Do

Whew!
After at least one all-night rhinestone session, the burlesque costume for my new Valkyrie act is complete. The performance was a success, and it looked amazing on stage from what I heard. Photos are slowly trickling in from last night's "Heaven and Hell" show with The Hubba Hubba Review. Here's one image so far, thanks to the talented Rj Johnson:

In a way, I'm glad it's over! Not the performance aspect, I can't wait to do this one again, but the crazed (and somewhat last minute) costume engineering that has taken over the household for the last 3 weeks. We DO NOT have the space for this, lol! Yet somehow I still manage to create some pretty fabulous stuff. While I built the actual antlers using Celluclay over a wire frame, the final antler headdress would not have been possible without his help and insane abilities in the use of Bondo as a costuming aid.
If I had tried mixing this two-part coating myself, we would have had an epic, sticky, antler fail mess on our hands. But now I know how ;-)

Much ado about creative space...

Noting the subject of the lack of space; I'm also finally able to do the big sewing area switch.
Currently, the sewing area is in a rather busy pathway in the house, and shoved into a corner.
I often...well, always find myself tearing apart and digging through all the stuff, no matter how organized, just to get to one item I might need. Tool and material accessibility is very low.
It also seems as though it's dark no matter what time of day it is. There is only one window, the sliding door to the backyard, and the light truly sucks.
More of this space could be utilized, but due to this busy pathway, that can never be. It is traversed by an excitable dog, is the path to the backyard, is near the dining area, and is the first thing people see and end up congregating in, instead of the living room area, when they enter the house :-\ It's usually a bit messy, if not at full apocalyptic levels like this last week.
Not only do I not want this to be the first thing people see when they drop by, I no longer want some project I'm working on at the mercy of food, drink, freshly bathed or dirtied dog, etc.
Especially if I'm about to be working on the 18th century ensembles involving lots of rare or rather high end silks and cottons I have collected over the years

However; the living area is adjacent to this. It has three (3!) surrounding windows and is about the same size in volume to the current sewing area but is it's own, more contained, space with more room to spread out...giving us absolute access to materials etc.
I actually fantasize about simply walking up to my fabric shelf or drawers of trim, taking what I need, and going back to my sewing. Instead, it's nearly an all-day affair of rearranging that half of the house to get a scrap of fabric or even a bit of millinery wire.
Plus, the lighting is 100% better, both natural from the windows and and from installed fixtures.

After taking a bunch of measurements, I discovered that everything in the living room could fit on the other side, and in effect, turn that whole half of the house into a much more welcoming environment. Plus, by trading areas, it would create a protected and exclusive area for sewing that is a little more low profile within the actual 'living area'.
In essence, it would keep the monster contained.

Wow...That Actually Worked!

Dyeing is no easy process, especially when dealing with lots of fabric.
My past experience with using dye to color fabrics has been on a much smaller scale, so I was a bit intimidated at first. Not for the solid color pieces, but the two-tone effect I was after on the largest piece. This process is also known as Ombré.

Luckily for this newbie, I was just using one color; a lovely blood red onto the hem of a white silk 'cape'.
During the process, it looked as though I'd just prepared the neighbors for dinner..muwaha.
(Don't worry, those are just mannequin arms in the background. Part of an old Halloween zombie prop of Anders').

I had discovered there was a tiny hole in my glove. Oops.

Really, it's not what it looks like.

Success! So far.

If you're curious, the red hem is supposed to be as if it were dragged through a battlefield, so I wasn't going for a perfect gradient to the color.
The surprising ease in which the projects of the day transpired, also involved my search for some fake hair for the headdress portion of this costume. I ended up finding a great local place, just minutes form my house. I found exactly what I needed and fast. A rare thing for a last minute adventure on a Saturday evening, let alone finding the closest shade of blonde I need.

Super long, and each pack was only $5

As for the headdress, more to come on that subject soon ;-)

#&$@#&%@!!!!!

Oh Look, the perfect fabri-HOLY CRAP THAT COSTS HOW MUCH?!

Ok kiddos, I know that silks aren't (usually) that affordable compared to other options in the historical sewing realm. But $64 per yard for a plain-weave solid taffeta is just well, brutal.

The color, or at least how it shows up on my monitor, is perfect(!) for the green/blue-ish Madame Pompadour gown.



Either I start saving my pennies now and hopefully by next year, I'll have enough to buy at least 10 yards, lol! Or, I loom around my local fabric liquidators until something similar shows up for $15 per yard...which could take about as long.
Or I keep searching.

Anyway, I have a funny feeling I'll be finding this fabric soon for a better price. My sewing spidey sense tells me so, and I've learned to trust it.

My turn soon?

The Green?Blue?Turquoise?Teal? Mme Pompadour gown painted by Boucher.
So many people have recreated this ensemble, and while they all have their merits, I need to be blatantly honest.
For myself personally, of all the recreations I've seen (those intending to be direct replicas) there is always something amiss.
Now you might be saying to yourself, "well that's rude of you to say. Someone worked very hard on that gown and you don't have the right...".
Wrong (along with the right of free speech), this is not a post to tear anyone down.
It's one to inspire. Each recreation I have seen of this gown has been great in it's own way, and a wonderful homage to it and the woman who wore it.
I merely have my own vision as to how to go about actually *replicating* such a gown, rather than making a version of it.

The ribbon will prove a challenge; taffeta with a spaced multiple satin stripe and pinked edges all around.
Hmmm...
***Ooh, Edit time! After closer inspection, it looks as though the ribbons actually have a picot edge instead of pinking. The ends do have it, with a double scalloped pinked edge. Looks like I'm going to need to get my man to make me some pinking tools...or at least show me how.

The one thing that has stood out the most when it comes to all the versions I've seen from other seamstresses, is the color and fabric choice.
It will vary from light as a pale blue, to a dark forest green, and everything in between.
Likely this is due to all the images available on the internet, many of which have poor color and resolution, and fail at representing the colors of the original.
My guess on the fabric? It was a bluish green silk taffeta, lighter than the dark green shades I've seen it made in, but definitely more on the green side. I can already tell you that I foresee many fabric swatches in my future.

One must see the actual painting to get an idea of what the true color of her gown was,
and even the color of the paint on the canvas will have changed a little over the centuries.
When will I be able to see this painting in person? Who knows, perhaps never.
I've traveled the globe and have seen nearly all Europe has to offer in its museums, but I somehow missed this particular one.
But, I can at least allow myself a few guesses in this project. Realistically, I won't be able to claim it as a perfectly exact replica if I do attempt it. The exact weave of the silk, the exact shade of the pink ribbon, the curves of the tiny petals on each miniscule rose.
There is simply no way, unless I had an unlimited budget to have these things custom woven and created by insane artisans throughout France and Asia.

The hardest part I think, will be the ribbon that adorns the stomacher and sleeves. But if I'm crafty, and I have a few ideas, I'll be able to have this gown quite close to hers.
The other fun part; recreating the set for the photo shoot ;-)

The Ever Sought After Riding Habit

Ever since I saw the film Dangerous Liaisons, the ensemble worn by the Marquis when she arrives to visit Cecile has always intrigued me. Not that I'm too sure I could pull off that color of goldenrod yellow, but I still want it:


Perhaps if I found a richer shade of gold? Bright yellows tend to make me look green :-(
However Glenn Was able to wear it, and she and I have much the same complexion and hair color. Perhaps it's just that I've never really *tried* looking for a yellow that suits me after being given a horrifically wrong lemon yellow sweater as a child. I never got over that. I looked positively ill when I tried it on to appease my relatives. And it wasn't just the look on my face. My own mother realized this instantly, and as soon as The Aunts left, we took it to the Salvation Army.
Maybe it's time to give the golden and yellow shades a try once more?

It's obviously designed from a classic 18th century riding habit, yet used as a visiting gown in this particular scene. There are various sewing patterns available that nearly mimic the one above, yet I think I've been distracted once more...
if I ever want to make a rather, shall we say, unrealistic riding habit...this would be it. Unrealistic meaning that I wouldn't want to dirty it galloping after foxes on the moor. Sitting for a portrait would be more like it:



Oh gods. The trim, the velvet, *swoon*.
I may even have a pattern for the classic riding habit on the Marquis (from Tailor's Guide), or the one in Janet Arnold's book "Patterns of Fashion 1: 1660-1860", that I can alter to resemble the red one above. I've already got the little black tricorn hat ;-)

Oh, and I'll just put this right here (more picture swoon)...http://periodmoviecaps.blogspot.com/search/label/Marie%20Antoinette

Past Creations...

While I wait for a good moment to take some photos of the 1850s coat and waistcoat I made for my gent, I have been digging through my archives.
Here is an 1885 gown I made a couple years ago, from the most amazing fuchsia silk faille taffeta and antique lace. My favorite part is the green/fuchsia ribbon I used for the accents. It's becoming a favorite color combination ;-)

A bit goth with the brooch and yes, that is antique choir robe lace.
I'd like to redo the front of the bodice. I'm not happy with the velvet and the wrinkling that's happening there. I think I'm just ready for a different look:





Waiting in line for beverages at Dickens Fair year before last. Please excuse the flipped up edge of my bodice and the red eye, lol:

Oh, ok yeah....

Sure, I'd love to go check out that little fabric store in Arroyo Grande they might have some stuff-OMG RIBBONS!!
$60 later plus a 1 1/3 yard remnant of silk taffeta...

The question of accuracy in fabrics when on a budget...

I will probably catch some flack for what I'm about to write, but this is just my opinion in a sea of many.
When it comes to sewing historical fashion on a budget, for me personally it's going to require even more research into fabrics used, to make up for lack of discretionary income :-)

So often I see beautiful formal 18th century reproduction gowns at events made of expensive silk in taffetas, velvets, brocade and duchess satins. The keyword here is Formal wear.
Naturally, people who choose to create a formal gown want it to look expensive. Yet more often than not, the materials they desire are too expensive, very rare, or just not available any more...so they choose a modern synthetic range of fabrics in place of actual silk.

I will admit that this can bug me. A lot, but we do what we need to do and use what our wallets will allow. I save my pennies so I can by silks when I find it at a great deal
But, why would it *always* need to be silk or satin in the first place?
Here's an idea; how about cotton?

Cotton prints and wovens during the last 2/3 of the 18th century were in high demand and highly fashionable. They were not only seen in day wear, but often at social functions and dances, even at court(!).
Yet today cottons are overlooked when costumers are on a budget to create a formal ensemble, and instead they end up with a plastic, way-too-shiny acetate or polyester outfit...that I might add, photographs horribly. Seams on poly satin ripple and the fabric doesn't breathe. Acetate can often look too stiff or shiny as well.

That's not to say there aren't some nice blends out there that work quite well, but it's all in how you use it, and being knowledgeable about how the synthetics are going to behave. In drape, fit and texture.

I've used synthetics plenty of times, including the blue gown in the previous post.
That was an acetate cotton blend bengaline (it has a faille texture), and behaved much like a heavy silk. It's sheen wasn't too shiny and the drape was wonderful. I only used this fabric however, because I was familiar with it's content and behavior.

This is a great post about cotton fashion and how it is too often excused as 'casual', or only used later in the century, at another 18th century blog, At The Sign Of The Golden Scissors:
http://thegoldenscissors.blogspot.com/2011/08/cotton-sacque.html

I think one point I should state, is that when the use of synthetic fabrics truly bugs me, is when someone brags about how "perfectly accurate" their polyester ensemble is.....perhaps not for 1782, but 1982?
:-\